Metal culvert.



P.' A. SIGKLESTEBL a P. c.BALLARD.l

METAL GULVBB 1?. APBLIOATIONIILED un.. ze, 1909.

Patented ont. .26, 1909.

TTURNEY wxTNEssEys: WW

rs'rnn. and FREDERICK C. BALLARD, citizens Y a Yfull, c1ear,an

ventlon, such as will enable others skilled in UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK A. SICKLESTEEL AND FREDERICK C. BALLARD, F NORTH BRANCH, MICHIGAN.

METAL CULVER'I.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 26, 1909.

Application filed March 26, 199. Serial N o. 485,913. 1

To a'llwhom 'it 'may concern:y Be 1t known that we, FRANK A. SICKLnof fthe ,United States, residing at North 3raneh,`^inl the county of Lapeer and State ovMiehigan, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Metallic Culverts; and'we do herely declare the 4following to be exact description of the iny,the art to which it appertains to make and *use the same.

Our invention relates to metallic culverts and more particularly to that class of cul- Vverts `built up of a plurality of separable sections. i One object of our invention is the provir sion'of novel means for releasably interlocking the side sections with the bottom section against the possibility of accidental disen- .ga ement. j

' nother object is the provision of novel means for retaining the side sections in interlocked position relative to the bottom section.

. To these ends, therefore, our invention consists in certain novel features and combinations of parts such as will be more fully described hereinafter and particularly point-- ed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a culvert embodying our invention, Fig. 2 is a cross-sec- `ltional view and Fig. 3 is a detail view showvalng the locking tongue.

It is well known that in culverts of the type shown in the drawings, it is necessary to aord means for permitting expansion and contraction, due to temperature changes. Furthermore, it frequently occurs that the earth beneath the culverts will wash out ywith projecting approximately T shaped tongues 3 which are curved in substantially (the same arc as are the sides. The bottom section 4 is provided along its opposite sides with downset ledges 5, whereby the shoulders 6 are formed at the juncture of the ledges and the body portion of the bottom section. Substantially T-shapedv slots are formed inthe bottom section, -such slots lying partially in the bottom section and the narrow portions 7 df such slots extending into the ledges 5, 5. The outer walls of the narrow portions 7 of the slots are beveled as at 8, as are the abutments 9 formed at the juncture of the wider portions 10 with the narrower portions 7 of the slots.

In assembling the culvert, the side sections are inclined away from each other and at an angle to the base in order that the tongues 3 may pass over the inclined abutments 9 and be inserted in the wider portions 10 of the slots. When the vtongues are inserted, the edges 11 of the sides engage the faces of `the shoulders G which serve as :tulcrums for the sides as they are swung toward each other to proper position. As the sides are moved toward each other, the tongues are swung outward and their recesses 12 caused.`

to receive the abutments 9, thereby positively lockng the lbase to the sides, so that even though the support beneath the base were to give way, the base would be held in place by the sides. The upper edges of the sides intermateh as shown, when the culvertis assembled, to form a strong joint.

From the foregoing it will be seen that we have devised a simple and ellicient means for positively locking the base and sides together against the possibility of separation unless the culvert is disassembled by swinging the side walls away from each other. The sections are arranged to break joints, that is to say, the sides break joints with each other and with the bottom sections so that the culvert cannot separate longitom, the bottom provided with a series ofV slots, which slots vare narrower at their outer ceivuble in the slots, the wells ot' the nurrower portions ot' the slots adapted to be.,

received in the recesses in the tongues wherelo) to rcnusubly :ind positively lock the sides und bottoni together.

L. A culvert comprising :t bottom zuid sides, substantially T-shnped tongues proiecting 'from the lower edges of the sides, the bottom provided with u' series of approximately T-shnpcd slots to receive the tongues, the reduced necks ot the tongues receivable in the niurower portions ot the slots', the bends oli the tongues taking under the not tom to provide n positive relezisuble lock.

7J. A' culvert comprising separable bottom und side sections, the upper edges of the side sections adapted to engage und form n suture, the bottom section having slots of greater widths :it their inner than nt their 'outer ends, such slots :irrnnged ndjncent the opposite longitudinal edges of the bottom section, und lutcrully recessed tongues projecting trom the lower edges of the side scctionsothc tongues receivable 1n the slots,

the walls of the narrower portions otl the slots received in the recesses of the tongues, whereby to securely lock the side und bot` toni sections together when the upper edges of the side sections ure engaged.

ft. A culvert comprising curved 'sides :uid n bottom, the sides provided attheir lower edgcswith recessed tongues lying in sub.

stuntiully the sume are of curvature :is the sides, the bottoni provided with a series of Vslots, which slots nre narrower et yone end thun' :it the other, the tongues being receivable in the slots, the wulls'otl the nurrower portions ot the slots adapted to be received in the recesses. of the tongues, whereby to releasably `and positively lock the sides and bottom together. j i

5. A culvertl comprising sides and n bottom, recessed tongues protruding from the lower edges ot' the sides, fulcrulning means. located adjacent each longitudinal edge of the bottom, the bottom also provided with a. series of slots which are narrower at one end than atthe other, and sides co-aetng with the tulcruming means to swing the tongues so that their recesses will receive the walls of the narrower portions of the slots.

(3. A culvert comprising a bottom und sides, recessed tongues carried by the sides, at downset ledge extending along each longitudinal edge of the bottom, whereby a shoulder is formed nt the juncture of the sides and bottom, the bottom having slots formed therethrough und extending into the ledges, which slotsnre wider at one end thatnt the other, to receive`tlie tongues, the Walls of the narrower portions of the slots adapted to be received in the recesses in the tongues.

7. A culvert comprising a bottom and sides, recessed tongues carried by the sides, the bottom provided with a series of slots having abutment-s extending thereinto to restrict the width of the slots at one end the nbutments being beveled to permit the insertion ot' the tongues only' when they lie at an angle to the bottom, the ebutments receivuble in the recesses in the tongues when the sides are in assembled position.

In testimony whereof, We affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK A. sioKLEsTEnL. FREDERICK C. BALLARD.

Witnesses Gmo. KELLY, KARL M. BABBOUR. 

